Tape drives are used for computerized backup purposes. A tape drive contains a motor and a read/write head. The motor advances a tape installed in the tape drive across the read/write head. The motor may have a variable speed, so that the tape can be moved at a faster or slower speed across the read/write head. Generally, the slower a tape moves across the read/write head, the less data is read or written in a given time. The motor may have a lower limit speed, below which operation of the motor may damage the motor. The motor may also have an upper limit speed for the same reasons. The tape drive may thus have a lower limit on the amount of data that may be streamed to the tape drive to allow for proper operation of the tape drive. If data is streamed to the tape drive at a rate lower than the lower limit, the tape drive may stop the tape and store data in a memory buffer until the tape drive has enough data in the memory buffer to start the tape. The process of stopping the tape, filling the buffer, and rewinding and restarting the tape may take some amount of time, during which data is not written to the tape drive. The time may delay the end of a backup process, and create inefficiency. The upper and lower limits may differ from one brand and/or model of tape drive to another.
A backup server may be in communication with one or more tape drives. The backup server may use all or some of the tape drives simultaneously to create a backup of the backup server, or another client or clients in communication with the backup server. The backup server may stream data to each of the tape drives, but may not recognize the lower limits of the tape drives. The number of tape drives associated with the backup server, or activities associated with processing the data before it is transmitted to the tape drives, may decrease the available throughput. The backup server may thus fail to transfer enough data to meet the lower limits of one or more of the tape drives, and may create inefficiency in a tape drive backup environment as a result.
Problems with current tape drive backup environments may arise due to tape backup systems inadvertently creating inefficiencies in tape drive backup environments by failing to meet lower limits of one or more of the tape drives involved in the tape drive backup process. For example, rewinding and/or restarting a tape in a tape drive may cause a time delay, and may thus create unnecessary wear on the tape and the tape drive.
In view of the foregoing, it may be understood that there may be significant problems and shortcomings associated with current tape drive backup environments.